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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

“Do you consider yourself an old dog or a new one? What sort of things are you trying or planning on trying soon?”

I always thought I was more of a new dog and willing to try new technology and strategies. I usually tried to buy the new stuff out there and was one of the first ones to get them when they hit the market.

This past year I notice that I’m turning more into an old dog.

Finances are more of an issue now than in the past so I tend to be more watchful of the things I buy. I struggle over whether the use of something is cost efficient or not. Since I only work part time now instead of full time, I don’t always have the resources to buy things without willing to risk the outcomes.

I also have had more failures this year than in the past. I’ve bought a few things that I haven’t been able to get to work so I’m more cautious. We bought some security cameras that I’m supposed to be able to connect by wifi and see when we are not at home. But I haven’t been able to get them to work and finally gave up. I know it is user error but the instructions are in a foreign language and there is no tech support.

I have had some technical issues with our computers that I have been unable to sort out and we have limped along this past year. My laptop has had to be restored twice and I don’t know what happened so I can’t keep it from happening again. My hubby’s computer (my old hand me down) is awfully slow and won’t update. I hold my breath every time we have to restart his and pray it will start again. This difficulty has made me more unsure of my ability to do things and now I’m almost afraid to try new stuff.

This reminds me of a time when I was a younger hiker. I was willing to go long distances and never feared that something could happen. Now that I’m older (and thinking I’m much more wiser), I don’t want to go too far, think about what could happen, and fear that I could fall and break some bones. This is limiting my hiking adventures and I hope this upcoming year and I can reverse this trend.

I wish I could regain my confidence and bravery. I was willing to try new stuff and didn’t ever think that I couldn’t do something. I need to change my attitude and get back to being more of a new dog!!